Latest news with #NassauBoardofLegislators
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Suffolk County may have to pay back $91M in shady red-light camera fees — leading to massive budget deficit
Suffolk County may have to pay back as much as $91 million in shady fees collected from its controversial red-light camera program — a cost that could cause budget mayhem. The Long Island county is already facing a potential battle over its spending plan, with its Budget Review Office forecasting a massive $552 million deficit by 2028. Suffolk ended its red-light program on Dec. 1 but two courts ruled that a $30 administrative fee it tacked onto violations since the program launched in 2010 was illegal because it exceeded a $50 maximum fine. The county is appealing the decision. 'While the county cannot comment on the specifics of pending litigation, it is not possible to predict how the county would address this situation,' County Executive Ed Romaine said in a statement. If Suffolk loses the appeal, the county may have to pay even more than just reimbursing drivers who paid the extra fees because state law requires 9% interest for each year the money goes unpaid, according to David Raimondo, an attorney representing Suffolk drivers in a class-action lawsuit. Earlier this month, Romaine warned constituents that the coming financial situation will require 'some extraordinary budgeting' and 'not everyone's going to be happy' — but the looming payout is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. County officials also have to fund a newly approved police union contract with boosted pay, hammer out several other pending labor deals, and contend with the uncertainty of future federal aid and an economy experts warn is on the decline. Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy Jr. did not respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, Nassau County may have to cough up even more than Suffolk, as it hit red-light runners with not only the standard $50 fine, but added a $45 'driver responsibility fee,' and a $55 'public safety fee' — bringing the total extra cost of a single ticket to $150. The extra fees raked in $64 million in gross revenue for Nassau in 2022 alone, according to records obtained by Newsday. It is unclear the total amount the county may owe, but Democratic lawmakers in the Nassau Board of Legislators recently introduced a bill that would permanently eliminate administrative fees and establish a fund to reimburse ticketed drivers charged with these fees. 'For years, Nassau's red light cameras were more about revenue than safety — and drivers paid the price,' Seth Koslow, a Democrat who introduced the bill in December 2024, told The Post. 'My bill puts money back where it belongs: in the pockets of Nassau's hardworking residents. It's time to stop the fleecing and start the refunding,' he said. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman did not respond to a request for comment.
New York Post
01-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Long Island launches drones in desperate search for missing Democrat whose car, clothes found near beach
Nassau County launched drones in an aerial search for a missing Long Island Democratic candidate whose car and clothes were found near a local beach, officials said Thursday. Petros Krommidas, who is running for a seat on the Nassau Board of Legislators, vanished Wednesday night when he went for a training swim at Long Beach, cops and family said. Petros Krommidas, 29, hasn't been seen since he set off for a training swim last Wednesday night at Long Beach. Advertisement Police later found the 29-year old's locked car by the Allegria Hotel, just near the beach he had regularly visited to train for a triathlon, his family said. He had appeared to have taken a towel with him. County Executive Bruce Blakeman said Thursday he ordered the mobilization of Nassau's Community Emergency Response Team and drone team to conduct an aerial search that began in Atlantic Beach. 'The safety and well-being of our community members is our highest priority, and we are doing everything possible to locate Petros and bring him home safely,' Blakeman said.
